Seaplane pilot misjudges altitude over glassy lake

The pilot of the float-equipped Cessna 206 reported that he intended to practice water landings and operations after about seven months of seaplane inactivity due to winter.

He was flying above a lake in Gilford, N.H., with glassy water conditions surveying the surface for ice or other hazards when the airplane’s floats inadvertently contacted the water “a bit harder” then normal.

The pilot elected to reduce engine power and attempted to land, however, the plane nosed over into the water, and subsequently sank.

During a post-accident examination, the right float displayed evidence of contact with the propeller and the aft portion of the fuselage, near the empennage, was substantially damaged.

The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot misjudged the float-equipped airplane’s altitude while maneuvering above the surface of a lake, which resulted in a float inadvertently contacting the water. Contributing to the accident were the glassy water conditions and pilot’s lack of recent experience in amphibious airplanes.

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Comments

Glassy surface landings or even dragging the surface requires some good judgment that could be inadequate after a long time away from being current, too. Float planes set higher up and they are all different. Maybe the pilot should have had an observer with them.

Car bumpers have proximity sensors these days. Maybe someone should create a similar device for the pontoons of floatplanes so the pilot has an objective measure of how far above the water the float is.

That sounds unnecessarily expensive to an already expensive aircraft. You must remember the cost to get something PMA or TSO approved. In float plane flying if you are landing on a glassy surface the suggestion is to look horizontally at the trees or buildings on the shoreline to judge your distance above the water. Most accidents in float plane flying usually occur when people with amphibian floats landing on the water with the gear down. Are there warning systems in place to warn the pilot? Yes, but typically they pull the circuit breaker as they find the annunciator for the system annoying.